Maritime identity construction and the influence of maritime identity on foreign policy: an Indonesian context

Abstract

Indonesia is known as one of the largest archipelagic countries in the world. Since Indonesian independence in 1945, Indonesian leaders from President Sukarno to President Joko Widodo have identified the country as a maritime nation. Indonesian history recorded the legacy of powerful maritime kingdoms such as the Sriwijaya and Majapahit kingdoms, which strengthened the narrative of Indonesian maritime identity. In the contemporary context, Indonesia's identity as a maritime nation is reflected in the country's dedication to maintaining territorial unity and integrity, and also its adherence to international law. This thesis seeks to answer two research questions: How did maritime identity construction take place in the Indonesian national identity context? To what extent does maritime identity influence Indonesian foreign policy? Using qualitative research methods, this thesis analyses the Indonesian maritime identity construction process from the pre-modern to contemporary eras. It then analyses the influence of maritime identity on Indonesian foreign policy in maritime issues.

This research departs from the constructivist paradigm that sees national identity as a socially constructed concept. Thus, this thesis investigates how maritime identity is constructed as part of Indonesian national identity, by taking into account three influencing factors, namely: the elite factor, historical legacy, and nation-state formation. This thesis includes analysis about the Indonesian maritime history during the pre-modern era to give understanding about the maritime context of the Southeast Asian archipelago in the past. After Indonesia became an independent state, analysis of maritime identity construction is focused on the role of elite in this process, particularly the role of the Indonesian presidents.

In order to get a thorough analysis of maritime identity construction, the author analysed key milestones in each presidential term, representing the policies taken by each Indonesian president that supported or impeded the construction of Indonesian maritime identity. This thesis shows that each presidential term has its own priority programs, which affected the way each president perceived maritime issues in Indonesia. One of the key milestones in the Indonesian maritime identity construction, namely, the adoption of the archipelagic state principle in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is also being explained in this thesis.

The following investigation focused on maritime identity as an ideational factor that shapes Indonesian foreign policy. In this case, the author analysed several case studies of Indonesia foreign policy measures dealing with maritime issues. Some of the highlights are the Indonesian government focus on the issue of protection of territory and sovereignty, and Indonesian government response on regional maritime disputes. This thesis also elaborates the influence of maritime identity to Indonesian government's perception of its international role, particularly during the era of Yudhoyono's and Joko Widodo's administrations.

This thesis argues that Indonesian maritime identity construction has taken place through bottom-up and top-down approaches. The elite factor, historical legacy, and nation-state formation each played an influential role in strengthening Indonesia's identification as a maritime nation. Indonesian maritime identity is also influential in reinforcing Indonesia's conformity to global norms, namely the norm of territorial unity and integrity, and the norm of adherence to international law, and in shaping the Indonesian government's perception of its international role. This thesis contributes to two themes of literature that are still understudied: the literature on the construction of Indonesian maritime identity, and the nexus between maritime identity and Indonesia's foreign policy in maritime issues. Show more